1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the evolution of a communications network, and more particularly to the management of associated costs and revenue.
2. Background Art
A goal of any commercial communications service provider is to maximize returns to the investors of the company. Corporate finance theory holds that the metric which best correlates with this goal is the net present value (NPV) of the stream of expected future positive and negative cash flows generated by the company's operations. Hence, an objective of the service provider is to maximize the net present value of cash flows. Communications companies and other businesses have traditionally sought to model the pursuit of this objective in the form of a strategic plan developed by their corporate development, strategic planning, or marketing divisions.
For communications companies, typical inputs to strategic planning models include revenue, capital costs, and operating costs. Assuming that the service capacity provided by a company is sufficient to meet demand, the first of these inputs, revenue, is generally treated as being independent from costs. Moreover, if the level of demand (a factor in determining revenue) is assumed to be related to cost in any way, it is generally done for the purpose of short term pricing and competitive analysis. Hence the relationship between revenue and cost has not been fully appreciated in the development of strategic planning models. In particular, the failure to consider the interaction between price, demand, and cost has led to the development of business plans that are suboptimal.
Hence there is a need for a practical business model which recognizes the connection between price, demand, and cost. The technologies underlying the communications industry are now enabling exponential improvements in performance per dollar expended. Without such a business model, a communications company will almost certainly be unable to make sensible decisions regarding the necessary price adjustments, adjustments that may have to be made on a continuous basis. A communications company lacking such a model will also be unable to intelligently deploy the improved network technologies that lower cost and stimulate demand.